1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to coronary stents.
2. Background Information
Stents are used in physiological fluid vessels such as arteries, veins, and ducts to maintain the conduit in an open state for fluid flow through it. Typically, stents are placed in arteries that have been closed or narrowed by atheromatous plaque or clots. The stents are typically anchored in place by a variety of techniques, including sutures, barbs, and other devices. In the coronary arterial circulation they restore blood flow to the heart muscle or myocardium to preserve or restore cardiac function.
While stents restore circulation through vessels in which they are placed, and thus prevent further loss of circulatory capacity through that vessel, they do not address the problem of impaired circulation in smaller vessels for which a stent may not be suited or in the adjacent ischemic myocardium traversed by the stented coronary artery.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved stent.
Further, it an object of the invention to provide a stent which can assist in restoration of circulation in vessels other than the one in which it is placed.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide a coronary stent which provides circulation to that portion of the myocardium that is adjacent to the stent.